About This Lesson
Are you looking to practice gratitude with your students? Use this activity to help students brainstorm things they are grateful for with this free, printable worksheet!
Have students brainstorm things they’re grateful for across the provided categories. You can write these out, draw, or share them verbally (including using a communications device). You can also do this on a separate sheet if you want more writing room. Try this activity again after practicing What Went Well for a few weeks to see how your gratitude skills have improved!
Here’s what you’ll get:
- Printable worksheets, including one with room for a drawing modification
- Teacher worksheet instructions
- Guidance on implementing a gratitude practice in the classroom
- Access to gratitude lesson plans and a unit study
Why you’ll love these worksheets:
* The activity is easy to read and implement.
* You can use this resource as a standalone activity or as part of a comprehensive, science-based unit study.
* The associated free unit study for What Went Well comes with IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism
Ways to Use
- Incorporate into morning/end-of-the-day meetings
- Use as a brain break to help with transitions
- When your student needs a boost of positivity, use this worksheet to induce feelings of gratitude
- Integrate into small groups and/or individual counseling sessions
- Families can use these at home, too!
What is Gratitude?
Has anyone ever told you to “be grateful for what you have” or “count your blessings?” Maybe your parents or grandparents reminded you to pay attention to the good things in life, frequently say thank you and appreciate what you have. As a teacher, you may have told your students “focus on your successes.” Here, we present a case of science catching up to old adage.
The gratitude skill - What Went Well - helps you and your students begin to counteract the negativity bias and strike a balance in what you focus on each day. By developing a consistent gratitude practice, we can transform how we see the world. It has long been said that it is not happiness that brings us gratitude; rather, it is gratitude that brings us happiness.
Science of Gratitude
Research shows that practicing What Went Well can have profound impacts on individuals and groups. It turns out that the advice to focus on the good things each day has many benefits ranging from physical health to mental wellbeing. People who practice gratitude:
- Are happier, healthier, and live longer
- Are more optimistic and hopeful
- Fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer
- Exercise more frequently and have better cardiovascular health
- Have stronger relationships and increased social support
- Find greater meaning in their work
- Perform better and achieve at higher levels
- Are less depressed and anxious
Looking for more gratitude resources?
* Explore the free What Went Well Unit Study which comes with teaching slides, additional worksheets and activities, and even IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism.
